VIAREGGIO CARNIVAL 2020 - Carnevale di viareggio
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VIAREGGIO CARNIVAL 2020
The Viareggio Carnival celebrates in 2020 147 years of life under the sign of a vivid tradition
such as the long-established European tradition of Carnival festivals. It is no doubt one of
the best known events in Italy. Each year the Viareggio Carnival attracts more than 600.000
spectators gathering to attend the magic of the grand parades of large floats in papier-
maché.
The peculiarity of the Viareggio Carnival consists in giant, allegorical papier-maché floats -
the biggest ones weighing about forty tons - and expresses today the old knowledge that
goes back to the ancient ‘trionfi’ (war-victory feastings) of the Renaissance, adhering even
more to the building techniques of the big sailing boats, a pride of Viareggio traditions.
Every evening, there are carnival celebrations in all of the city’s different districs. The most
famous bars, restaurants, discos, etc., including the largest hotels in Versilia, host colourful
all night masked carnival parties.
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Real travelling theatres - the allegorical papier-maché floats are the product of the
unequalled creativity, of the extraordinary sculpture and painting skill of Viareggio’s
‘magicians’, and are the highest example of this popular art whose language has spread all
over the world.
The parades take place in a ring-like circuit 2 kms. long, on the seaside avenue of Viareggio,
best known as La Passeggiata. Here the floats move among the spectators, who can attend
the show with no barriers, becoming in turn the protagonists of the parade.
CARNEVALE DI VIAREGGIO 2020
PROGRAM
Saturday 1 February @ 4 p.m.
Opening Ceremony
1st GIANT FLOAT PARADE – Evening Inauguration
Firework show and music to follow
Sunday 9 February @ 3 p.m.
2nd GIANT FLOAT PARADE
Saturday 15 February @ 5 p.m.
3rd GIANT FLOAT PARADE - Evening
Thursday 20 February @ 6 p.m.
4thGIANT FLOAT PARADE - Evening
Firework show to follow
Sunday 23 February @ 3 p.m.
5th GIANT FLOAT PARADE
Tuesday 25 February @ 5 p.m.
6th & Final GIANT FLOAT PARADE
Prize giving ceremony
&
Firework show to follow
9 First Class gargantuan papier-mâché allegorical floats (moving theatres towering up 70
feet over the crowds and weighing about 40 tons), 5 Second Class floats 9 Group
Masquerades and 8 Individual masquerades will parade along Viareggio’s Liberty-era
boardwalk, best known as La Passeggiata.
CARNEVALE DI VIAREGGIO 2020 - GENERATIONS
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The month-long event will celebrate the bonds between generations with well-known special
guests: mothers, fathers, sons and daughters who have left their mark in the worlds of art,
culture, science, entertainment, business and sports.
First class floats
"In Wonderland" by Jacopo Allegrucci
Social-media mania narrated through the lens of
Alice in Wonderland. However, the world of likes,
posts and stories is not as wonderful as it seems. It
takes away our desire of friendship, of social life and
of building relationships with others, giving free rein
instead to the Ego that feeds on a fabricated reality.
"The Great Leap" by Alessandro
Avanzini
A robotic tiger sporting the symbols of
the People's Republic of China asserts
its power over a well-known icon of
American pop culture. A lotus flower,
similar to Huawei’s logo, frames the
tiger’s body while a scroll of apparently
Chinese golden pictograms screens a
wall made up of containers, the symbol
of globalization in commerce. A faded
portrait of the Great Helmsman hangs in
the background, the Chinese pop icon
so well depicted by Andy Warhol. In some parts of the world, globalization and free trade
are still creating deep pockets of poverty and social inequality, whereas in the "most
advanced" countries, economic and social stability have been undermined.
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"Robotika, artificial intelligence" by Luigi
Bonetti
The future is here. Robotics already monitor
every moment in our everyday lives. What will
tomorrow bring? Will artificial intelligence take
over every aspect of human activity and thought?
The allegorical float is a warning to all of us: a
large figure with a human face is at its centre and
reveals its complete internal robotization. A
positive message however shines through: robots
can never have the feelings, at least until today.
"Neither Eve’s nor Adam’s" by the Breschi
Brothers
The allegorical float is a tribute to love in its many forms
and cautions us against homophobia. Symbolic figures
dance an engaging waltz on the steps of a temple that
is as ancient as the universal feeling of love. A hymn to
love without distinction of sex, race or religion and a
celebration of the freedom to kiss without obstacles.
The unique swans perching on the temple symbolize
the purity and poetry of love.
"Idol" by Umberto, Stefano and
Michele Cinquini
The powerful God-making factory never
stops and a new idol is ready. A new
gigantic, speedy, and imposing object of
idolatry is born. Created by the people
for the people, the Frankenstein-like
new idol advances and dominates the
scene, influencing our daily lives. The
Idol is my slave of which I am a slave.
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"Hug me, it’s Carnival” by Fabrizio Galli
The float pays tribute to altruism, symbolized
by an embrace. Neapolitan philosopher
Luciano De Crescenzo used to say, “We are
angels with only one wing, thus we can fly
only if we embrace”. Inspired by this, the
artist depicts his dreamlike vision of an
embrace where two strands of DNA
constitute the characters who symbolize
universal knowledge: cosmos, music, love,
art and literature. The sculpture representing
the endless embrace is at the centre of the float, while on the stage the smiling King
Carnevale invites us to hug one another.
"Home sweet home. There is no place like home”by
Lebigre and Roger
While humanity seems to be swimming happily towards
dire straits, the Earth - our sweet home as stated by the
title, is swiftly heading to the point of no return. Following
our brain, courage and heart is the only path to
salvation, just like new scarecrows, lions and tin men.
The characters of the Wizard of Oz become an allegory,
warning humanity and committing to building a new
possible world. Greta Thunberg is the protagonist at the
centre of the float, our Dorothy on a journey towards a
new awareness.
"Olé " by Carlo Lombardi
The float takes a stand against bullfighting, a traditional spectacle
that in some locations is considered cultural heritage, but that for
the artist represents a macabre ritual, a liturgy of death. This time,
the bull is the main protagonist of the float as he wields a red cape
and shows it to the petrified bullfighter, who now understands that
the show has no magical and epic dimension, but that it is only a
one-way journey to a bloody death.
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"Blessed ignorance" by Roberto Vannucci
Knowledge and ignorance are the two sides of
the same coin, which has the face of modern
man. The Internet, our daily bread, is a great tool
of knowledge but is increasingly becoming a
vehicle disinformation. As the number of read
books decreases, the number of views and likes
goes up. The great Centaur at the centre of the
float symbolizes the spreading of ignorance that
is multiplied by social media, by reality shows, by
school and politics. Wielding an axe in his hand,
the Centaur slashes towers of books. Icons of centuries of culture are erased in an instant.
Second Class Floats
"Hunting for a happy ending" by Luca Bertozzi
Majestic, elegant and stunningly beautiful. With its strength,
pride, grace and aggressiveness, the tiger is one of the
animal kingdom’s icons. Once worshiped, today tigers are
at risk of extinction because of man. The float decries this
grave danger, telling the story of a family that fights with all
its might to ensure a future for our planet’s biodiversity, in
the hope that man will reverse his course and start hunting
for a happy ending.
"The Italian Bitter "by Edoardo Ceragioli
The satirical message of the float captures the latest trends
political propaganda trends and mirrors the sinking of human
conscience. The closing of safe harbours, the fear of
foreigners and the indifference of the majority of the population
are depicted by the artist as a fascinating Lady Italy lounging
against the bar, which becomes a dock. She sips on the Italian
Amaro Marenegro (BlackSea Italian Bitter) served by
bartender Salvini to swallow the dramatic news of shipwrecks
and despair. A float that is dedicated to those who, with their
daily effort wish to recognize people and not only numbers.
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"Our great geniuses..." by Priscilla Borri
and Antonino Croci
Great inventions by Italian geniuses have
changed humanity! From the radio and
telegraph to the compass and telescope,
green-white-red inventors have lain the
foundation for exploration and communication.
Having untied ancient bonds, we hope that our
contemporary "geniuses" will strive to make the
name of Italy fly in Europe and in the world.
"Hands Off" by Franco Malfatti
Keep your hands off the children. The artist cautions us
that in a civilized country, foster care for children must be
an indispensable mission to be conducted in an exemplary
manner and protect families. However, the devil stirs the
pot increasingly often due to economic interests.
"If I were Fire - S'i fosse foco" by Luciano Tomei
The float denounces the devastating fires caused by human
hands. The reckless gesture of a madman, depicted as a pig
in typical nineteenth-century graphics, has caused the
destruction of entire forests. The artist asks himself, “What
hides behind the gestures of arsonists? Madness, crime or
the desire to feel powerful?”
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Group Masquerades
"Culture sparks Fear" by Silvano Bianchi
Western society is at the mercy of a new Middle
Age era. Culture is the plague of our age.
Appearances, quick and easy alternatives, physical
and verbal violence, are the means that are chosen
to live, affirm ourselves and conquer one’s in the
world. Ideas, knowledge, intellect and any form of
culture are cagily dammed and burned, the victims
of social and moral degradation.
"The Lords of the Night" by Michele Canova
The lords of the night are birds of prey, the
main protagonists of the masquerade. Instead
of being portrayed as evil predators following
classical iconography, the Lords of the Night
are clever and attentive observers that see the
terrible deeds of man. For this reason, they
appear proud. Proud of not behaving like some
men do.
"Alice, a modern fairy tale" by Vania Fornaciari and
Roberto De Leo
The group masquerade is a modern interpretation of Alice
in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Alice represents the
transition from a carefree childhood to adulthood. The
characters of the story instead represent some of the
main challenges faced by adolescents: anxiety, stress,
chaos, irritability. Alice follows her personal and physical
growth path in a vortex where imagination and rationality
continuously collide.
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"The man of dreams" by Emilio Cinquini
Federico Fellini, the man of dreams, was born
100 years ago. The man and artist who more
than anyone else has been able to teach the
world to dream and to believe in anything that
is able to generate wonder and bewilder.
Fellini’s unique ability to lead the viewer on a
perennial journey between dreams and reality
has elevated him to a beloved international
icon and to being one of the most studied
directors. It is said that in his films Fellini had
been able to capture the carnival of life. This year the Carnevale di Viareggio wishes to pay
him a personal tribute.
"Promised Land" by Marzia Etna
The international situation is becoming increasingly critical,
both from a social and environmental standpoint. It
generates chaos and more and more people attempt to
migrate. Everyone is in search of the promised land; a free,
independent and clean place. The powerful rulers of the
large nations hinder these journeys of hope.
"Populist art" by Giampiero Ghiselli,
designed by Maria Chiara Franceschini
In the eyes of the artists, in an era ruled by
populism and by hawkers, the winner is he
who knows how to use the strategy of
spreading fear towards what is different and
of amplifying the sense of anger and
frustration in people. The parallelism with
pop art -the American art movement of the
Sixties inspired by consumerism, comics,
advertising and mass products, is clear and
immediate. Here Trump, in the role of
Superman, is the protagonist of the new
populist art.
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"900" by Libero Maggini
Pablo Picasso was a master in playing with rationality
and unconscious through art. The masquerade pays
tribute to the great artist, in particular to the transition
from blue to the pink phase. Here, Picasso is depicted
as a modern Don Quixote who throws himself against
the figure shattering it.
"Chinese Shadows" by Giacomo Marsili
Chinese shadows, the symbol of an ancient
oriental art, are the projection of a dark shadow
on the West. The reflection of the shadow
represents the fantastic transposition of the now
visible Chinese domination, obscuring
colonization and illuminating the similarities.
Black and white that embodies Eastern
philosophy and that sees some evil in good and
some good in evil.
"Make us laugh - Facce ride" by Adolfo
Milazzo
At times, too many difficulties tend to
burden us in this world ... and if we think
of the many hypocrisies and ambiguities
of life, we often just wish to lighten up.
That does not mean pretending nothing is
happening. However, often a good laugh
can change your day. Come to Viareggio,
here when we celebrate Carnival you can
laugh at will. Laughing is not a platitude
or cliché: sometimes it is the best you can
do and hope can return ...
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggioIndividual Masquerades
"Wordplay" by Andrea Giulio Ciaramitaro
Life is a play on words, a complex tangle in which too often
hatred finds refuge but where even the noblest emotions of the
human soul can hide. Just look for them, states the artist.
"Sorci verdi – Green Rats" by Stefano Di
Giusto
Ecomafia is a tough monster to combat. All too
often we find ourselves surrounded by illegal
dumps, industries or incinerators producing
dioxin, buried toxic waste, polluted groundwater
with many people getting ill without
understanding why. The artist warns us that we
will understand reality, when we witness small
country mice transformed into huge green rats!
"Someone gives me my soul back" by Michelangelo
Francesconi
The tragedy of paedophilia is narrated by taking
inspiration from the famous Stephen King novel "It". As in
King's book, the first clown shows his playful side only
then to reveal his ferocity by devouring the souls of the
innocent.
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggio“Through me the way to the city of woe…” by
Rodolfo Mazzone
The protagonist of the masquerade is a smuggler, a
modern Charon, who ferries migrants full of dreams and
hopes on their quest for a better future. The smuggler,
however, knows well that this will not be so and that he
will abandon everything and everyone in the middle of
the sea. And the boat is the symbol of their death.
"Van Gogh wins" by Lorenzo Paoli
Creativity transforms black into infinite horizons. Despite
the torments that marked his life, Vincent Van Gogh had
understood this capturing the lesson through his vibrant
works full of movement. Van Gogh thus triumphs over
intolerance and hatred. Let us not stop believing in
positivity though, because as Van Gogh himself wrote in
one of his letters to his brother Theo: "there is nothing
more artistic than loving people".
"Gulliver’s distress" by Matteo Raciti
Gulliver, the shipwrecked protagonist of Swift's
novel, finds himself mocked and bound by the
Lilliputians, small both in body and in mind. They
are afraid of who is different from them and fear
him. The masquerade is a satire against ignorance
and prejudice, which, like the ropes binding
Gulliver, are a symbol of cultural involution and of
labelling every alleged minority.
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggio“Natural Beauty " by Devis Serra
The artist invites us to love things as they were created
without trying to change them. On the contrary, nature is
often repressed and pushed towards an abyss without
return. Seeing as the human body is increasingly
transformed into an object to be modified through
cosmetic surgery, the masquerade encourages us to love
what is naturally beautiful.
THE GOOD TIMES FACTORY
Since 1873, the Carnival of Viareggio has been the
Italian factory of merriment and fun. Every year, the
breathtaking parades of papier-mâché giant floats
sweeps up the audience in a month-long extensive and
enthusiastic celebration. For the entire month of
February, Viareggio offers visitors and the community
alike an extraordinary program of events, which
includes parades along the seaside Promenade,
musical all-nighters in the city’s different districts,
masked dancing balls, fireworks, theatrical
performances, cultural events and world sporting
competitions.
The most longed-for and anxiously-awaited moment is
that of the parade of gargantuan floats – the Corsi
Mascherati - scheduled for Saturday 1, Sunday 9,
Saturday 15, Thursday 20, Sunday 23 and Tuesday
25 February 2020.
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggioSix extraordinary opportunities to admire up close the outstanding allegorical machines
created and built by artists from Viareggio while allowing yourself to be swept up in the
vibrancy of the masks, of the music and by the beauty of the largest show in the world of its
kind.
THE ALLEGORICAL MACHINES
Unique in the world in size, movement, choreography and sensational nature, the giant
Carnival floats are true allegorical machines that travel along a ring circuit on the seaside
Promenade of Viareggio between breathtaking Liberty buildings and extraordinary squares
overlooking the beach. Paper-mâché rules supreme, or better casted and molded paper
does. Viareggio-born painter and builder Antonio D’Arliano invented this technique in 1925.
Over the years, it has allowed the construction of increasingly large floats that at the same
time are quite light. Models in clay, plaster casts and newspaper and glue made of flour and
water are the simple ingredients of the greatest show on earth of its kind. Thanks to a unique
artisanship, the philosophy of reusing and recycling are the cornerstones of the Carnival of
Viareggio.
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggioDuring the Carnival period, Viareggio and it’s Passeggiata become a true open air Museum
where people, coming from all over the world, meet to enjoy the event together.
The parades also include folkloristic bands and performers with the most original masks,
offering excitement, culture and tradition in a wide programme of entertainment and fun for
children and adults.
Viareggio, the Carnival town, also known as the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea for its long
sandy beaches, its pine-woods, its beautiful promenade, a natural stage for its Carnival
surrounded by the Apuan Alps and the Art Deco architecture of its villas along the seaside,
is situated on the northern coast of Tuscany.
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggio2020 CARNEVALE DI VIAREGGIO
POSTER BY STEFANO GIOVANNONI
Italian architect, industrial and interior designer Stefano
Giovannoni is the author of the Carnevale di Viareggio
2020 Art Poster. "In drawing the official art poster, my
goal was to combine the jolly and festive atmosphere of
the Carnevale di Viareggio with the playful spirit of my
creatures as they barge into the Carnival party and
create a colourful wave” explained Giovannoni.
THE CITTADELLA OF VIAREGGIO CARNIVAL
This impressive complex, inaugurated in 2001, incorporates sixteen large buildings where
the construction of the floats are carried out. During the days of the parade, the large floats
leave the Cittadella (a series of large buildings including workshops, the Carnival museum,
a teaching laboratory where the art of papier-mâché is taught and the Carnival film and
photo archives, where material from 1925 can be found) and march down the purposely built
boulevards: a town fit for the Carnival.
Inside the Cittadella there is also the Carnival Museum. Here the paper sketches and models
of the floats dating back from 1925 are preserved. There is also an archive containing
photographs and video documentaries dating back from the early 1900's
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@carnevalevg facebook.com/ilCarnevalediViareggioIt is possible to visit the Papier Mâchè Museum exhibiting the models of the recently
awarded floats, together with the special works of value. The museum offers an historical
review on Viareggio Carnival in a colourful and enjoyable environment typical of the Carnival
atmosphere.
On weekends, during the evenings, thousands of
people enjoy taking part in the street parties Rioni and
each year this strengthens the feeling of identity of the
people to their roots: a continuous rebirth under the
Burlamacco sign, the official mask of Viareggio.
During the Carnival month, there is also a series of
plays in Viareggio's vernacular language. For four
weeks, Viareggio offers the opportunity for having lots
and lots of fun!
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